Chapter 1.

2 Gene Is a unit of hereditary A portion of a chromosome Chromosomes (strand of genes) Come in pairs except for x and y DNA Comprises a gene Serves as a template for the synthesis of RNA RNA Serves as a template for the synthesis of protein molecules (protein part of the body or enzymes Homozygous Two identical genes in a chromosome (DD, rr) Sex-linked Genes are located on the sex chromosome Are usually on the x

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Sex-limited Are generally on autosomal Are mainly active in one sex Triggered by sex hormones Heredity and environment To determine contributions of heredity monozygotic (identical) twins and dizygotic (fraternal) Multiplier effect genes can influences your behavior which can influences how other people treat you thereby reinforcing the behavior environmental modification example PKU is a hereditary disease in which the person cannot metabolize phylnlkaline which can lead to mental retardation if the baby is put on a diet that restricts phynlakline then this will not occur. If we speak of a gene for alcoholism we should not imagine that the gene itself causes alcoholism rather it produces a protein that under certain circumstances increases the probability of alcoholism.

Chapter 1.2 If you have genes that make you better looking then people will be attracted to you and may alter your behavior. Evolution Offspring resemble their parents Mutation introduce a new heritable trait that could be harmful or helpful Certain individuals reproduce more successfully than others a gene that is associated with reproductive success will become more prevalent controlled breeding for a certain trait (dogs, plants) is called artificial selection Misunderstandings Lamarkain evolution o The use or disuse of some structure or behavior will increase or decrease that feature o Example Lamark would think that the little toe was getting smaller because it was not being used when in fact it would be getting smaller only if those with smaller little toes had an advantage over those with larger little toes and reproduced and passed on the smaller little toe gene more successfully. Humans have stopped evolving o Some theorize that we have stopped evolving because we can keep people alive by artificial means o Humans are still evolving because evolution depends on reproductive success not life span Evolution means improvement o What is fit for one generation may be a disadvantage in the next if the environment changes Does evolution benefit the individual or the species o Neither it benefits a certain gene that is pasted along Evolutionary psychology Looks at how behaviors (social) evolved by examining why natural selection would have favored genes that produced those behaviors Altruistic behavior (evolutionary psych) May not be selfless and may benefit the actor Group selection theory (controversial) Altruistic groups survive better than non cooperative groups No way to weed out cheaters and that gene would get passed on even if it was only one lying member of the altruistic group Reciprocal altruism Individuals help those that they think will return the favor Require good sensory organs, memory and memory for faces to ensure that you do not help someone who has a history of not returning favors o Maybe why altruism is most common in humans Kin selection You will protect your offspring who share your genes and by extension relative who share your genes